Monday, October 15, 2007

Ok... so I like to be prepared... irrational? fears....

DH thinks I am crazy but I ask him about this a lot. What we would do if we were in a car that was sinking in water.
If he were with us would he get Piglet or Diva and I would get the other? If he weren't in the car should I get Diva out first and see if she can make it to the surface of the water on her own and then get Piglet? Or should I get Piglet, who is not as strong as Diva, so if she struggles it won't be as much of a fight?
We watched this survival show and I have talked to DH about drills and what not to get out of a sinking SUV- in my case. And he just shakes his head at me and is like NO, so at the start of this show I say to him, fine I will drop this whole doing drills thing BUT if there is a segment on drowning in cars in this show we are doing drills... low and behold there was a segment on it. He still refuses to sit with me in the drive way and time us to see how fast we can all get out.

I realize that it is different when tons of water is pouring into your car and you're scared to death but still. Why not? People practice fire drills. DH says that it's like a million to one chance I would ever be trapped in a sinking car. Yeah the show said the same thing... followed by "just because those stats are so low doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared".
Now, when it falls into the water generally hits it on all four tires, mostly when you go off the road into water. The progression is that the front end of the car sinks first and the water fills up that way. And your power doors, locks and windows will work up to ten minutes after even with water in your car. I figure I would let the water in slowly, get out or my seat, get the girls (still a debate on which one first, more on that later), and head out to the back of the Expedition. At this point I hope I remembered to pop the door in the back, there should be air back there if there is any in the car because the car would now start to sink vertically, front first.
If I get Piglet out first she's smaller so I can carry her while I undo Diva's car seat- both have five point harnesses OY. On the other hand DH says if I get Diva first she's old enough to hold on to me while I get Piglet. I just wonder if Diva would be panicking and be struggling. Is that morbid?
What if the power windows and doors don't work? I told DH perhaps I should keep a hammer in the car to break a window. I suspect that hammer would be good for carjackers, kidnappers.... ok now I am sounding paranoid. I can't help it; I am my mother’s daughter.
I am not consumed by this whole idea but I admit when I go over bridges (which is often around here) I do think about it. I have even though about unbuckling my seat belt while I go over the bridge so I can get the girls faster... ok that makes me sound irrational LOL. DH says that I should be more worried about an accident on the bridge than actually going over the edge OR it collapsing.
I asked DH if we should keep one of those tiny oxygen tanks in the car, but I suspect there is a high risk of that blowing up before I ever go over a bridge into water, haha. Anyway… there is my (ir?)rational fear…

4 comments:

  1. If it makes you feel any better, DH says that this will be me in a few years. He says that I just need to be a messier person in my car. If I wasn't so clean, I'd have all kinds of stuff in there that might help me out in an emergency such as this. I'm not sure how left over water bottles and clothes will help me, but he seems to think it will! Bravo to you for thinking through what-ifs though! It might just save you one day. :) ~alwayssmile

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  2. I'm the same way specifically with going over bridges with water--- I would for sure keep a hammer in the car incase you need to break the windows for some reason, and I would unavoidably be thinking the same things. May not even be for being in the water necessarily, but is good for if you need to get out, quick. :o) I have an emergency back pack in our car now, with anywhere from sets of compasses if we get separated to venom extraction kits to candy bars and beef jerky, gatorade and bottles of water... the list goes on... and on... and on... paranoid? YES. Prepared? I would rather be.

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  3. OH and yes my kit also includes general first aid and ponchos etc. LOL Just incase it seems like I went for the venom extraction and compass but no practicals. I'm telling you I have EVERYTHING in there.

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  4. I've had ongoing nightmares about sinking or going over a bridge, to the point that I've actually sat down and thought about what I would do and how I would handle it if the situation happened. So, no, I don't think you are crazy. It's good to be prepared.

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